MAGIC RUNS in the family!
New Idea|September 04, 2023
THIS FATHER AND DAUGHTER DUO HAVE BEEN DEFYING DEATH FOR MORE THAN 40 YEARS
Katherine Chatfield
MAGIC RUNS in the family!

During her teen years, Helen Coghlan dreamt of becoming a hairdresser. But apprentice jobs were few and far between, so to earn a bit of money she agreed to work as her dad's assistant.

Only, her father Arthur didn't have a standard office job; he was a high-profile magician and escapologist!

"I thought I'd do it until something better came along," Helen says with a warm laugh. "That was over 40 years ago - and we're still a team."

For Helen, now 57, joining the family business' was a natural step. She'd grown up with Arthur's passion for magic and his drive to perform impressive stunts that wowed audiences.

Arthur had made a name for himself around the Gold Coast, but really wanted to do a big stunt that would propel him into superstardom.

That moment came in 1979 when he appeared on The Don Lane Show and nearly died escaping from a locked 166-litre steel barrel that was suspended 30 metres in the air. Arthur, now 90, admits, "I knew I had to do something big and dangerous. I didn't realise how dangerous it would be."

This story is from the September 04, 2023 edition of New Idea.

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This story is from the September 04, 2023 edition of New Idea.

Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.